


we rise and we fall (and we break)

by Timballisto



Series: clarke and lexa vs the world [23]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Angst, Clarke is at the end of her rope basically, F/F, Gen, Spoilers, Spoilers for "Hakeldama"
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2016-02-14
Packaged: 2018-05-20 09:14:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6000364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Timballisto/pseuds/Timballisto
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>Love doesn't discriminate</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Between the sinners</em>
  <br/>
  <em>And the saints</em>
  <br/>
  <em>It takes and it takes and it takes</em>
</p>
<p> Clarke has given them everything</p>
            </blockquote>





	we rise and we fall (and we break)

Clarke stumbled away from the battlefield back into the woods. She fell against a tree, pressing her face against the rough bark.

The bodies of the army she’d fought so hard to receive were burned into her mind. She could smell the stink now; the wind had turned against her and blew the scent into her nose.

Clarke gagged, falling to her knees and retching into the loam.

_Not again._

A juxtaposition of the horrors of the mountain and the awful slick of Finn’s blood on her hands played through her head. How would her people die, she wondered. Strapped to posts and made to die cut by cut? Or would they be hewn down in mercy?

She felt empty, suddenly. Like she’d scraped the bottom of whatever remained of her soul, and all that was left was… apathy.

_This was an act of war. ___

__Clarke wiped her mouth angrily, staggering to her feet. She felt ill, almost physically sick with the pulse of anger that ran through her. Her limbs felt shaky, as if she were coming down with a fever._ _

__“Clarke.” There was Lexa’s voice. It cracked in the middle, and Clarke whirled around with wild eyes to take in Lexa’s grief stricken expression._ _

__“I gave them everything.” Clarke said. Her own voice shook. “And they—they did this, they—“ Clarke’s breathing grew more labored. The anger, the fear; everything she’d bottled up since the dropship had landed on earth came to a head._ _

__“I GAVE THEM EVERYTHING!” Clarke roared, turning on her heel and driving her fist into the tree. Pain lanced up her arm, but instead of breaking her stride it merely enraged her more._ _

__She felt out of control; her skin felt hot and tears prickled at the corners of her eyes. Clarke sucked in another quivering breath, her chest feeling tight all of the sudden._ _

__“I killed for them, I sacrificed for them, I _kneeled_ for them—“ Clarke’s fury plunged the clearing into a tense silence. “And they betrayed me.” Her voice trailed off into a broken whisper._ _

__Her eyes swept around the clearing, her skin crawling from the suspicion etched into the faces of the Trikrus warriors who’d accompanied Lexa and Clarke to the killing field. They stood in silence, hands on their weapons. They weren’t as impassive as their leader, who stood and watched Clarke with hooded, shuttered eyes._ _

__“ _Heda_.” Clarke said, quietly._ _

__“ _Sha, Wanheda_?” Lexa said, her face still as stoic as when Clarke had first met her. All she was missing was her warpaint._ _

__“Blood must have blood.” Clarke said, and she didn’t miss the imperceptible twitch of surprise in Lexa’s face._ _

__“You understand that I cannot let this stand?” Lexa said. “You understand that those responsible must pay the price?”_ _

__“Yes.” Clarke said, tiredly. She looked at Lexa through eyes so old that Lexa’s soul ached in empathy. “I can’t—I can’t keep doing this, for them.” Clarke let out a shuddering breath. “I’ll save those I can. My people will follow me.”_ _

__“And the rest?” Lexa asked. Her thumb ran over the leather that wrapped hilt of her sword._ _

__“They are yours.” Clarke said. Her voice held a death knell._ _

__“Very well.” Lexa said. Her formality was grating, but Clarke could see the conflict in her eyes. There was nowhere to confer in private here, in the open woods among Trikru warriors. “You have one day to lead your people from the Skaikru camp. At sunset tomorrow, we will have justice.”_ _

__Lexa turned and barked something to her men that Clarke couldn’t quite catch. Her head felt fuzzy and full and she swayed when Lexa stepped forward to clasp her forearm in her own._ _

__“If you can, meet me in Tondisi.” Lexa said, quietly. “I will instruct that you, along with any Skaikru you lead are not to be harmed.” There was a pregnant pause. “Many will argue that this makes the Skaikru unfit to be a part of the Coalition. But…” Lexa cleared her throat. “You should know that many consider you to be the leader of the Skaikru. The council can be made to see this as treason against you, not the Coalition. Everything we have fought for can still be saved.”_ _

__Clarke was incredibly aware of Lexa’s fingertips on her elbow and the quiet intensity that Lexa was radiating. Her words eased some of the mounting anger and fear that was growing to replace the empty space between her ribs._ _

__“Thank you, Lexa.” Clarke said quietly._ _

__They stepped away from each other simultaneously, Clarke heading toward her horse. She took the reigns from the Trikru warrior with a nod of the head and mounted._ _

__“Until we meet again, Commander.” Clarke heard herself say, before she turned her horse and charge off down the rough dirt road towards Arkadia._ _

__If there was a reply, it was lost to the wind._ _


End file.
